We are looking for members who are interested in serving on the Board in the future; members who want to help with small projects; members who have ideas for training, events or volunteer opportunities.

Fourth Annual Blue Wall Birding Festival, held in Upstate South Carolina, from May 3-6, 2018.

Table Rock State Park

This small festival is again being hosted by South Carolina State Parks, and is meant to showcase the great spring birding that the area has to offer, as well as the area’s fantastic state parks. Birders who attended any of the previous festivals or the Carolina Bird Club meeting at Clemson in 2015 can attest to the great birding that Upstate SC has to offer in the spring.

Festival field trips will include The SC Botanical Garden at Clemson, the Townville area, the Nine Times Preserve, Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks, Lake Jocassee, and Lake Conestee Nature Park. New this year will be a workshop on birding by ear, and we’ll again this year include one butterfly-focused field trip. Participation will be capped at 50 birders. For more information, click the link below.

The Education Department of the Charleston County Parks is requesting a Beach Program Volunteer on March 26, 2018, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM at the Isle of Palms County Park.

Under the supervision of the Education Department the beach program volunteer will assist in the implementation of marine sciences programs. This may include, but not ilimited to: setting up for beach programs, pulling seine netsin the surf zone, assisting in teaching of children, cleaning up after programs and assisting in the maintenance of beach program supplies.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of local marine fish and invertebrates

Knowledge of coastal processes

Knowledge of local flora found on South Carolina Barrier Islands

Ability to work with large groups of school children

Ability to function outdoors in a wide range of weather conditions

Ability to make competent decisions

Ability to provide excellent customer service to our park visitors

Ability to follow instructions effectively and wour in a responsible and competent manner

Ability to establish and maintain harmonious relationships

If interested please email Beth Burkett at bburkett@ccprc.com to sign up. Volunteers will be asked to register with the Park’s volunteer system.

Remember Grace Gasper from Friends of Coastal SC, who spoke at our January Membership / Graduation Meeting?? This is the fundraising event she mentioned. Check it out if you want to attend. They also might need volunteers, so contact them.

Charleston Waterkeeper’s mission is to protect, promote, and restore the quality of Charleston’s waterways while ensuring the public’s right to swimmable, drinkable, fishable water.

Help out with some upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

January 27, 2018 Shell Bagging w/ SCORE

Join Charleston Waterkeeper’s to help DNR’s South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement (SCORE) Program prep bags of oyster shell for building reefs this year! Everyone should wear closed-toed shoes (no crocs or flip flops!) and clothes you do not mind getting a little dirty. SCORE will provide water, gloves, sunscreen, first aid and bug spray. SCORE will have cups for water but encourage volunteers to be eco-friendly and bring a refillable bottle.

February 3, 2018 Francis Marion National Forest Cleanup

PalmettoPride and the USDA Forest Service are hosting the 11th Annual Francis Marion National Forest Cleanup on Saturday, February 3. Join us in helping out!

Shorebird Stewards is a program that engages a growing group of volunteers to protect coastal birds. Volunteers patrol high-traffic beaches where birds are on a collision course with weekend crowds and help visitors share the shore with birds.At the training, you’ll be introduced to shorebird and seabird species and learn how to approach someone on the beach to talk about shorebird conservation. To register contact Nolan Schillerstrom at nschillerstrom@audubon.org.

Under the supervision of the Education department, the beach program volunteer will assist in the implementation of marine science school field trips. This may include, but is not limited to: setting up for beach programs, pulling seine nets in the surf zone, assisting in the teaching of children, cleaning up after programs, and assisting in the maintenance of beach program supplies.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of local marine fish and invertebrates

Knowledge of coastal processes

Knowledge of local flora found on South Carolina Barrier Islands

Ability to work with large groups of school children

Ability to function outdoors in a wide range of weather conditions

Ability to make competent decisions

Ability to provide excellent customer service to our park visitors

Ability to follow instructions effectively and work in a responsible and competent manner

Ability to establish and maintain harmonious relationships

If interested, please email Beth Burkett at bburkett@ccprc.com to sign up. Volunteers will be asked to register with the Park’s volunteer system.

Jennifer Kindel, with the SC Department of Natural Resources, will be conducting targeted mist netting at properties in Beaufort, Charleston and Greenville Counties. The goal is to capture northern long-eared bats (any Myotid bat or tri-colored bat capture will be useful). Jennifer would like to have local volunteer help to record data, assist in decontamination to avoid the spread of White-nose Syndrome in bats, and help raising and lowering the nets. No volunteer handling of bats is permitted unless the volunteer has up-to-date rabies shots, but it will be a great opportunity to see these wonderful creatures and be part of an important research project. During the 2016 season, 106 individuals of eight different bat species were captured, and other nocturnal creatures encountered included Southern Flying Squirrels, Luna Moths and Polyphemus Silkmoths.

Starting at the end of May through early August 2017, sites to be netted include Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve, Tom Yawkey Heritage Preserve, Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve, and Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve. This involves being on site in the evening for set-up and netting until 2:00 AM and then clean-up (decontamination of nets, ropes, clothing and other materials).

Be trained to “beach” with a purpose. Help protect nesting & resting coastal birds by being an Audubon Shorebird Steward this spring and summer. Educate beach goers, help count nests and chicks, all while hanging out at the beach! This training will give you a knowledge base and protocol for being an Audubon Shorebird Steward.